My father was a foreman of a sugar-cane plantation in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. My first job was to drive the oxen that ploughed the cane fields. I would walk behind an ox, guiding him with a broomstick. For $1 a day, I worked eight hours straight, with no food breaks.
It was very tedious work, but it prepared me for life and taught me many lasting lessons. Because the plantation owners were always watching us, I had to be on time every day and work as hard as I could. I’ve never been late for any job since. I also learned about being respectful and faithful to the people you work for. More importantly, I earned my pay, it never entered my mind to say I was sick just because I didn’t want to work.
I was only six years old, but I was doing a man’s job. Our family needed every dollar we could make because my father never earned more than $18 a week. Our home was a three-room wood shack with a dirty floor and no toilet. Nothing made me prouder than bringing home money to help my mother, father, two brothers and three sisters. This gave me self-esteem(自尊心), one of the most important things a person could have.
When I was seven, I got work at a golf course near our house. My job was to stand down the fairway and spot the balls as they landed, so the golfers could find them. Losing a ball meant you were fired, so I never missed one. Some nights I would lie in bed and dream of making thousands of dollars by playing golf and being able to buy a bicycle.
The more I dreamed, the more I thought. Why not? I made my first golf club out of guava limb (番石榴树枝) and a piece of pipe. Then I hammered an empty tin can into the shape of a ball. And finally I dug two small holes in the ground and hit the ball back and forth. I practiced with the same devotion and intensity. I learned working in the field--- except now I was driving golf balls with club, not oxen with a broomstick.The writer’s first job was ___________.
| A．to stand down the fairway at the golf course |
| B．to watch over the sugar-cane plantation |
| C．to drive the oxen that ploughed the cane fields |
| D．to spot the balls as they landed so the golfers could find them |
The underlined word “tedious” in Paragraph 2 most probably means ___________.
| A．difficult | B．boring | C．interesting | D．unusual |
The writer learned that ________ from his first job.
| A．he should work for those who he liked most |
| B．he should work longer than what he was expected |
| C．he should never fail to say hello to his owner |
| D．he should show respect and faith to the people he worked for |
________ gave the writer self-esteem.
| A．Having a family of eight people |
| B．Owning his own golf course |
| C．Bringing money back home to help the family |
| D．Helping his father with the work on the plantation |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．He wanted to be a successful golfer. |
| B．He wanted to run a golf course near his house. |
| C．He was satisfied with the job he got on a plantation. |
| D．He wanted to make money by guiding oxen with a broomstick. |
Have you ever played the video dance game? Now such games are used to help lose weight!
Like many other teenage boys, Jones loved sports. But at 5 feet, 175 pounds, he found his weight a trouble. His doctor wanted him to lose 50 pounds so that he may catch up with the football game by the end of summer.
Jones chose the popular dance Revolution video game at home to increase his activity. He had lost about 10 pounds by changing his diet. Now, after two weeks playing the game, he has lost another 10!
In West Virginia, 43% of the nearly 6,000 children examined for heart disease risk were considered over-weighted; more than 25% were too fat. “we are in a crisis of childhood obesity not only in West Virginia but in America,” said a researcher.
Researchers are looking at the potential for improving effects by using the game. A teacher in West Virginia has been using the video game in her classes since last fall. She reported that the game does improve heart health as well as eye-hand coordination, and her students take the video game as a great alternative to jumping rope or ball games.
The US Education Department is putting the game in 20 schools to control childhood obesity. Well, are you going to try such a game to dance away your extra weight?Jones’ main problem was that.
| A．he was too short |
| B．he was over-weighted |
| C．he lacked the skill in football |
| D．he didn’t keep a healthy diet |
The underlined word means.
| A．being unfriendly | B．being unhappy |
| C．being unhealthy | D．being overweight |
It can be learned that.
| A．in West Virginia 25% of the children were too fat |
| B．after playing the game, Jones has lost weight |
| C．the teacher is a failure in using the video game |
| D．the US Education Department is promoting the game all over the country |
The most suitable title for the passage is.
| A．Dance Away Your Weight |
| B．Play the Video Dance Game |
| C．Solve the Problem of Obesity |
| D．A Magic Video Dance Game |
Babysitter Wanted
I am seeking a babysitter for my 6-month-old son. A few hours on Saturdays and Sundays to help me and then additional times as needed. Applicant should be over 18, responsible, loving, warm, and have experience in caring for babies. The pay is $ 10 an hour.
If this sounds like a good fit for you, please reply to: rebecharv @ aol.com or call 800-4964. It is urgent!
Office Manager wanted
Our company is looking for a full-time manager to run the business. Strong skills and some experience are needed in organization and business management.Also, he or she should be familiar with computer.
Please send your resume to jim @ californiaaquatics. com or call 800-6978 to apply.
Waiter/ Waitress wanted
Specialty Restaurant is looking for an experienced waiter/waitress. A knowledge of wines and experience in dining are necessary. Must work well under pressure and understand the basics of fine dining and customer service.
If you're interested, please contact us at job-tkupe 1329358152 @ craigslist. Org to apply.
This is a part-time job. Please, no phone calls about this job!
Office Cleaner Wanted
Looking for Part-time work? A position available in the Mississauga area! Part-time 4 hours per day from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Some experience is necessary. Pay: $15 per hour.
Reply to: job-p3b7u-1365632206 @ craigslist.org or call 800-8197The position of a(n) ___________ is full-time job.
| A．babysitter | B．office manager |
| C．waiter/ waitress | D．office cleaner |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The office cleaner has to work three hours each day. |
| B．One can apply for a waiter or waitress by telephone. |
| C．Experience is necessary for all these four jobs. |
| D．A babysitter earns $5 more than an office cleaner per hour. |
In which column can we read these messages in the newspaper?
| A．Advertising | B．News |
| C．Entertainment | D．Sports |
Koalas remind people of teddy bears. They have thick fur and large ears. Their broad, flat nose makes them look cute, similar to teddy bears. In fact koalas aren’t cute. They have sharp teeth and very sharp claws! Koalas are marsupials. This means the mother carries her baby in a pocket while it develops, similar to a kangaroo. The baby koala lives in its mother’s pocket for the first six months of its life.
The name “koala” comes from a native Australian word that means “no drink”. The koalas get almost all their water from the eucalyptus(桉树) leaves they eat. That’s where they get their food too. Koalas eat only eucalyptus leaves, and only the leaves of certain eucalyptus trees. The eucalyptus trees are where the koalas live. It’s also where they sleep. Koalas sleep about nineteen hours a day!
Why do they sleep so much? Some people think it’s because they’re lazy. But koalas aren’t lazy. They sleep so much because there isn’t much nutrition (营养) in eucalyptus leaves. Koalas store hardly any fat, so they must save their energy. One way to do this is to move slowly and sleep a lot.
After a day of sleeping they like to move around and eat just after sunset. They live alone most of the time. Koalas are very protective of their trees. If a koala sees another koala eating in its favorite tree, it might tell the other koala to leave by “barking” at it. Koalas do “talk” to each other. Besides barks, the males make a deep grunting sound. The mothers and babies talk in soft clicking sounds. If they get scared they may scream like a baby.According to the article, how are koalas and kangaroos alike?
| A．They both have thick fur. |
| B．They both have sharp teeth. |
| C．They both eat eucalyptus leaves. |
| D．They both carry their young in a pocket. |
The word “koala” comes from a word that means ________.
| A．no drink | B．moving slowly |
| C．large ears | D．barking loudly |
Why do koalas sleep a lot?
| A．Their babies need to get much rest. |
| B．They get tired from playing so much. |
| C．Their food does not give them much energy. |
| D．They do not like to be awake when it is warm. |
If an adult koala screams like a baby, he may get ________.
| A．worried | B．hungry | C．scared | D．sleepy |
The baby is just one day old and has not yet left hospital. She is quiet but alert (警觉) . Twenty centimeters from her face researchers have placed a white card with two black spots on it. She stares at it carefully. A researcher removes the card and replaces it by another, this time with the spots differently spaced. As the cards change from one to the other, her gaze (凝视) starts to lose its focus — until a third, with three black spots, is presented. Her gaze returns she looks at it for twice as long as she did at the previous card. Can she tell that the number two is different from three, just 24 hours after coming into the world?
Or do newborns simply prefer more to fewer? The same experiment, but with three spots shown before two, shows the same return of interest when the number of spots changes. Perhaps it is just the newness? When slightly older babies were shown cards with pictures of objects (a comb, a key, an orange and so on), changing the number of objects had an effect separate from changing the objects themselves. Could it be the pattern that two things make, as opposed to (而非) three? No again. Babies paid more attention to squares moving randomly on a screen when their number changed from two to three, or three to two. The effect even crosses between senses. Babies who were repeatedly shown two spots became more excited when they then heard three drumbeats than when they heard just two; likewise (同样地) when the researchers started with drumbeats and moved to spots. Babies are sensitive to the change in______.
| A．the size of cards |
| B．the colour of pictures |
| C．the shape of patterns |
| D．the number of objects |
Why did the researchers test the babies with drumbeats?
| A．To reduce the difficulty of the experiment. |
| B．To see how babies recognize sounds. |
| C．To carry their experiment further. |
| D．To keep the babies’ interest. |
Where does this text probably come from?
| A．Science fiction. | B．Children’s literature. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．A science report. |
It’s not easy growing up. Growing up can be a real “pain” for some of us. Sometimes we feel trapped, sometimes we feel sad, sometimes we are fearful, and sometimes we just don’t understand why we can’t stay young forever. But we should take a look back on all the hardships in life with a positive attitude and learn from them. We must overcome every obstacle one small step at a time. We should realize that all of our growing pains actually turn into growing gains!
Throughout our lives we are going to face many challenges and pains, but we should never let these obstacles keep us from following our dreams. We must overcome every obstacle one small step at a time.
As a young girl, my parents forced me to do so many things that I didn’t like. They made me learn to play the violin and then the piano. At that time I hated music and I also hated them. But looking back now, I am so glad that my parents encouraged me to take music lessons. Music has enriched my life in so many ways. I now realize that my parents and teachers wanted me to have a better life than they did themselves.
We are all going to experience growing pains, but they are just part of our life. They might seem so huge at the time, but we must be strong. Think about how we would feel if we had no challenges and lived a life like that. Life would be really boring and meaningless. The future is ours! A little hard work and sweat never hurt anyone! If we realize that these pains are just small bumps on our road to success, we will realize that our growing pains are actually growing gains!The underlined word “obstacles” (in Paragraph 2) roughly means things that ______.
| A．are related to your studies |
| B．you easily achieve |
| C．make you happy |
| D．make it difficult for you to do something |
How does the author now feel when remembering what her parents did for her in the past?
| A．She is fearful | B．She is grateful |
| C．She feels trapped | D．She feels hateful |
We can know from the last paragraph that ______.
| A．life without challenges is dull |
| B．life needs no pains but sunshine and happiness |
| C．faced with challenges, we should give up as the future is ours |
| D．we shouldn’t easily pay a little hard work in growing up |
The purpose of the passage is to tell readers ______.
| A．life is full of hardships |
| B．growing pains can turn into growing gains in a positive way |
| C．everyone is painful in growing up |
| D．everyone should do what they don’t like when young |